I'd like to find a few like minds to get a good sized number (maybe 10 to start) of cheap RC car chassis and hack the controls to be guided with a compass IC. Then with a RC controller likewise fitted with a compass IC, use the controller to control the whole group of vehicles. The compass guided controls would keep all the vehicles going in the same direction even when they start out facing different directions. I envision an army of LemmingBots descending on Dolores park and confusing hipsters. Also, if you have a better name, let me know.

I'd like to find a few like minds to get a good sized number (maybe 10 to start) of cheap RC car chassis and hack the controls to be guided with a compass IC. Then with a RC controller likewise fitted with a compass IC, use the controller to control the whole group of vehicles. The compass guided controls would keep all the vehicles going in the same direction even when they start out facing different directions. I envision an army of LemmingBots descending on Dolores park and confusing hipsters. Also, if you have a better name, let me know.

--[[User:Helyx|Helyx]] 21:52, 29 October 2009 (PDT)

--[[User:Helyx|Helyx]] 21:52, 29 October 2009 (PDT)

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+

==PAL mini-dv camera==

+

+

This circa-2000 European-format Sony TRV-900 video camera was a great prosumer model for its day, 3 chip progressive scan 24 fps, but stopped working some years ago - first it stopped recording but would still playback, then that pooped out too. I switched out the power supply with one for the US version of the cam (same voltage range) to see if that was the (final) problem, but it still wouldn't come to life. So it's been gathering dust in a drawer. I couldn't afford to send it into Sony for servicing, and I had other (ntsc) video cameras anyway. But now I'm thinking about this box of PAL-format tapes I shot back in 2001 that I'd like to transfer to DVD or digitize to hard drive. I could rent/borrow a mini-dv deck as they allow both PAL and NTSC playback speeds, but I'd first like to see if this camera could be fixed. I'm lacking in the electro-fixie skills myself, but I'm keen to learn and explore, have enjoyed taking apart mac laptops with friends for franken-mod projects. Anyway, so here's what I'm thinking: if you're interested in trying to get this working with me, let me know. As long as you have enough sense and knowledge to be reasonably confident that you won't leave it worse off than it is now, I'm game to let you at it. If we can get it working again you'll be welcome to use it whenever you want, and/or I will donate it to Noisebridge for community use. The only thing I want it for is to digitize/transfer those tapes. Here's an overview of the camera: http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/ Thanks! --[[User:Naomix|Naomix]] 10:52, 22 November 2009 (PST)

Revision as of 11:52, 22 November 2009

Please explore and add-to a list of project concepts.

When you add your concept give only a short description of your concept, then make another page to present further details, media, and discussion of the project. Make sure to sign your name or add contact info so interested parties can offer support!

Transit status information

I've written something that uses bart.gov schedules together with Festival to give announcements about BART trains approaching 16th Street. I intend on setting this up with a cron job to run around the time of the scheduled last trains every night (and maybe the first train in the morning if we think people may frequently stay until around 4:00 a.m.!), using the music server once it's stable. To avoid annoying people this should probably not be configured to make regular announcements at other times. Two extensions to make this more useful: (1) if we can get or make a USB-to-buttons/switches or parallel-port-to-buttons/switches adapter, we can have a big button somewhere that causes an announcement to occur (for use when people are thinking of catching BART and want to know when it's coming). (2) If we can get a big scrolling LED sign with computer control, we can have it constantly display train status -- as well as Muni bus announcements with data from NextBus, perhaps using a library to get it. Schoen 23:30, 9 October 2008 (PDT)

RepRap

RepRaps are a kind of homemade 3D printers capable of self-replicating, as well as being used for rapid prototyping and manufacturing. There is interest in constructing a RepRap at NoiseBridge. See RepRap.

Ambient Activity Mutating Space

Place properly signed microphones in part of the space. Pick up conversations, feed them to voice recognition software. Extract nouns and phrases from the results. Render the top results from searching these phrases on displays in the space, twitter them on the Noisebridge twitter stream, and do other fun things. Maybe also do gesture recognition, too. See Ambient Activity Mutating Space.

Pancakes

there's a saying to the effect that the first batch is always ruined. a similar saying says don't buy any software with a rev of 1.0. is there such a saying about wikis? should there be? what about refactoring this wiki so's to make it easier to navigate (e.g. don't have two separate "infrastructure" sections)? --Jstockford 16:38, 19 October 2008 (PDT)

This falls very much into the category of Just Do It. That said, it's a fairly big job that I personally have not found time to take on. If anyone wants to collaborate on wiki reorganization I'm up for that (I like Organized). Rachel 16:49, 19 October 2008 (PDT)

Hologlyphic Video Art Project

Basic project proposal:

The concept is to hold monthly workshops centered around creating art with my existing 3D display, and also building a larger 3D display, of a much simpler design than the current system. Besides increasing size and adding color, the new system design will take into consideration performance and creative applications.

During these workshops, we will create 3D art and animations, along with music and sound. This will be recorded at during each workshop, for final editing into a larger piece.

I'm doing this because I love Holography and all related artforms, and wish to see the creative potential grow. Noisebridge is a hub of creative and technical activity, a perfect breeding ground for such work. I'm working on grant proposal, to be a collaboration project between myself and Noisebridge. It will provide funding for the workshops, cover any expenses for Noisebridge, materials to build the larger displays, a Hologlyphic video workspace for 3 months to edit the artwork, cover my basic living expenses during this 3 month period and finally an art show.

Electronics Essentials

seems likely that people working on electronic projects would find a variable power supply and a function generator handy along with some other basic test gear (e.g. pink noise generator, resistance bridge, LC measuring device...). many such things are available as kits. i've got one or two myself and would like to build them down there and leave them for people to use. what cautions wrt other peoples' careful use? signs or brief instruction sheets helpful? --Jstockford 16:38, 19 October 2008 (PDT)

Ani is starting a project that would bring gaming to the space, specifically inside an old style arcade cabinet. It would be based off of a PC running game emulators and will also have a arcade style joystick and buttons. Interested? See the project page here: Arcade She's needing some help specifically with a computer and actually designing and building the cabinet itself.

Python classes

Pimping up the lights

I want to pimp up Noisebridge's lights with a digital web-controlled interface. (Don't worry, there will still be switches that just-work.) See Lighting. Once I have enough work done, I'll bring it up at a meeting. If anyone wants to help with construction or software, let me know. I think I have the electronics under control. -- Dstaff

how about LED lights on a 12VDC circuit? --Jstockford 08:55, 14 November 2008 (PST)

PayPhone

Every hackerspace needs a payphone, and we are no exception. Several of us have been working on making it a functional member of the community. Details can be found here.

NoTouchScreen

Steen and Skory have been developing a gestural interface system using processing, IR leds, and chutzpah. Wiki page and documentation pending.

Gastrohacking SOE

We are enough mad food hackers that we should make sure that a SubOrganizational Entity with regular food hacking meet-ups, events, workshops, cook-offs, and participation in TGRWT challenges.
We would like to work our way through the recipes or ideas from the great scientific chefs: Ferran Adria, Heston Blumenthal et.c. Make things like: Blue cheese / chocolate souffle and lemon tempura with licorice. Build and use a sous vide bath and a computer controlled automated bbq.

Wiki Watch

the wiki is getting wacky. over time it may get so crufty as to be unhelpful. this "concept" suggests some of us pay attention to our wiki to keep it useful, something like managing a garden:

some items are old and no longer useful, like weeds, they should be removed. if an audit trail or history is needed, move old stuff to an antiquities section.

there are redundancies which should be consolidated (move all the gardenias to the same bed).

it might be nice to use the discussion (talk) pages more and the article pages less so the text on the article pages reflects concensus of the discussion (and reduces the amount of words the reader must slog through).

wiki technologies offer some features that might be good to promote. an example is "categories": if you look at special pages, you'll see a categories page listed; click it and you'll see the categories, one of which is "projects". it might be nice that we're aware of the projects category and tag some articles as projects. the benefit is easier wiki navigation. the downside, of course, is that all humans, even enlightened intelligent and well-meaning humans, are at times douchebags and won't bother to read about how to do things in ways other than what the current feelings dictate.

if you have feelings about watching the wiki, add your voice, please. perhaps we can get up a wikiwatch group to encourage each other to manage the mess. --Jstockford 09:13, 14 November 2008 (PST)

Getting and Giving Stuff

if we get stuff, where to put it? there are the sharing and hacking shelves, probably incoming should go on one of those two sets.

it would be nice to have an outgoing shelf, a place to put stuff that we no longer want. maybe the very bottom shelf in the hacking set? other?

how about trips to take stuff to ACCRC? a trip to ACCRC could be just to take stuff, just to see the place, just to spend time working as volunteers, or some combo. --Jstockford 10:35, 17 November 2008 (PST)

Natural language Interest

With the success of Mandarin corner, people have expressed interest in covering additional natural languages. I've set up a page for people to sign up and state their level of competency in various natural languages.

DIY Bio @ Noisebridge

Noisebridge as a jumping off point for project organization, in-silico development and limited safe labwork for hacking the genome, proteins, cells and beyond! In the works is a series of diy bio salon/lecture sessions. Please read the Noisebridge Lab Safety and Ethics Page
--h0mee

NB Cell Network

Let's set up some internal GSM with open source hardware and software on one side and proprietary GSM hardware on the other. See NB Cell Network.

Passive Cooling

Submersion cooling is an attempt to cool items/systems by submerging the object in a liquid which will radiate the heat away from the object. Start off with a basic computer submerged in mineral oil and take it from there. -- John Menerick --

Autonomous Flying Platform

Create a loosely coupled autonomous flying platform solution. The current best way to do this is with a G1 phone running android using GPS, internal compass, and accelerometers. We will start with a blimp. Once we have the blimp figured out, we will then attempt to control an rc helicopter. see Autonomous Flying Platform.

LemmingBots

I'd like to find a few like minds to get a good sized number (maybe 10 to start) of cheap RC car chassis and hack the controls to be guided with a compass IC. Then with a RC controller likewise fitted with a compass IC, use the controller to control the whole group of vehicles. The compass guided controls would keep all the vehicles going in the same direction even when they start out facing different directions. I envision an army of LemmingBots descending on Dolores park and confusing hipsters. Also, if you have a better name, let me know.
--Helyx 21:52, 29 October 2009 (PDT)

PAL mini-dv camera

This circa-2000 European-format Sony TRV-900 video camera was a great prosumer model for its day, 3 chip progressive scan 24 fps, but stopped working some years ago - first it stopped recording but would still playback, then that pooped out too. I switched out the power supply with one for the US version of the cam (same voltage range) to see if that was the (final) problem, but it still wouldn't come to life. So it's been gathering dust in a drawer. I couldn't afford to send it into Sony for servicing, and I had other (ntsc) video cameras anyway. But now I'm thinking about this box of PAL-format tapes I shot back in 2001 that I'd like to transfer to DVD or digitize to hard drive. I could rent/borrow a mini-dv deck as they allow both PAL and NTSC playback speeds, but I'd first like to see if this camera could be fixed. I'm lacking in the electro-fixie skills myself, but I'm keen to learn and explore, have enjoyed taking apart mac laptops with friends for franken-mod projects. Anyway, so here's what I'm thinking: if you're interested in trying to get this working with me, let me know. As long as you have enough sense and knowledge to be reasonably confident that you won't leave it worse off than it is now, I'm game to let you at it. If we can get it working again you'll be welcome to use it whenever you want, and/or I will donate it to Noisebridge for community use. The only thing I want it for is to digitize/transfer those tapes. Here's an overview of the camera: http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/ Thanks! --Naomix 10:52, 22 November 2009 (PST)